Lawrence r



Aug. 25, 1925.

L. R. GOLLADAY DISGONNECTING SWITCH Filed Nov. 26, 1920 J2 INVENTOR 7. A'TTORNEY Patented Aug. 25, 1925.,

V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LAWRENCE R. GOLLADAY, 0F WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WEST- INGHOUSE ELECTRIC 8; MANUFACTURING COMPANY, .A. CORPORATION PENN- SYLVANIA.

m-soonnnorme swrron.

Application filed November 26, 1920. Serial No. 426,356.

Disconnecting Switches, of which the fol-,

lowing is a specification.v

My invention, relates .to disconnecting switches and particularly to'switches of the double-throw, knife-blade type.

. An object of the invention is to provide a disconnectingswitch with a simple and effective locking mechanism whereby the switch may be. retained in closedrelation with the contact jaw member.

Another object of the invention is to pro-, vide a disconnecting switch of the doublethrow type with locking mechanism that shall be effective in locking the switch-blade in either of its operative positions. v

A further object. of the invention is to provide a switch mechanism having. the above characteristics wherein the release of the latching mechanism is occasioned. by the switch-opening movement of the operating lever.

A further object of the invention is to provide a disconnecting switch with'an operating 'le'veri that shall serve as a protecting case for the more delicate members of the structure. 1

These and other objects that will be apparent throughout the further description of the invention are attained in the switch mecha nism hereinafter described. and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein? A I ratlus includes a switchblademembeie that is pivoted,by means of a bolt 5, to pivot jaw member 6 that is mounted upon an insulating pedestal 7. The blade member 4: may be turned about the pivot 5Iinto oper ative engagement with contact jaw: members 8 and 9 that are mounted on insulating pedestals 11 and 12, respectively These pedestals are disposed on opposite, sides of the pivot jaw member 6, and thecontact. aw members 8 and9 are'alined with the.

blade members 4. It will be understood that a suitable sup-port.

The contact jaw members are of the usual type employed in connection with knife-blade switches. the jaw members being formed of flat metalplates designed to yieldingly embrace opposite sides of the switch blade and to establish a circuit through the blade members and the contact jaw members.

As 'shownin Fig. 1, theblade member 4 is in operative engagement with the contact member 8, in which position, a circuit is established between the feed terminal 13 that is conductively connected to the pivot jaw member 6 and the load terminal 14. that is connected to the contact jaw mem ber 8.

When the blade-member is moved into .ber 9.

-An operating lever 16, having two integral web portions 17 that are spaced apart to receive the free end ofthe blade member, is pivoted thereto by. means of a pivot pin 18., Spaces 19 are provided between the web portions 17 and the opposite sidesof the blade member for the purpose of confining portions of the latching members 21 and 22 that are pivoted upon a pin 23 carried by the end of the blade member. v The innerends of the latches 21 and 22 extend at substantially right angles from the main arm of the latch members and constitute cam arms 24 and 25, respectively. Pins 26 and 27, that are mounted in the web portion 17, respectively engage the cam arms 24 ant 25, and it will be seen that, when the operating member 16, Fig. 2, is moved outwardly in, an effort to dislodge the switch blade at, it will first turn about the pivot pin 18 and cause outward movement of the cam arm 2 1w and movement of the latch member 21 to the left.

The latch members 21 and 22 are provided with enlarged end portions 28 and 29, re spectively, having latch faces 31 and inclined cam faces The latch members are normally retained in the positions indicated in Figs. 1 and by means of short helical com pression s )riugs 33 that are disposed in the spaces 19 at points between the latching members and the web-portions 1T.

Outward movement of the latching mem- V bers is limited by the engagement of the I terminals 1% and 15. members to be in the positions shown in tull cam arms 24 and with their respective pins 26 and 27. It will be understood that leafsprings may be substituted for the helical springs illustrated, and that it may be desirable to support the springs on seats fixed to the blade member in a manner simi lar to that disclosed in t and 5, which will hereinafter be described.

Separate stationary locking members 3 1 and 35 are disposed adjacent to the contact members Sand 8, respectively. The locking members are provided with latching faces 36 and the cam faces As shown, the locking members are mounted on the load Assuming the blade lines in Fig. 1, the operation of the switch isas follows: A hook stick or other suitable implement is inserted in the opening 38 provided in the lever 16 and the lever is turned outward about the pivot pin 18, the extent of movement thereof with respect to the switch blade member being limited by engagement of the stop face of the lever 16 with tie end d1 of the switch-blade member.

Turning movement of the lever 16, with respect to the switch-blade member, causes the pin 27 to move the cam arm 25 of the latch member 22, and, consequently, the latch member 22 out of engagement with the locking member 35. lVhen the latch is released, the blade may be disengaged from the contact jaw members by further outward movement or" the lever 19.

When the blade is moved into engagement with the contact aw members 9, the cam surface 32 on the latch 21 engages the cam surface 37 on the locking member B l, causing sutiicient displacei'nent of the latch member to permit the latch face 31 on the latch member 21 to slip behind the latch face 36 on the locking member 3%.. The spring 33,

therefore, serves to yieldingly retain the latch 21 in operative relation with its respective locking member.

When the lever 16 is again pulled outoutwardly by means of ahook stick, the pin 26 will move the latch member 21 out of engagement with the locking member 34-, after which operation, the switch may be returned to its original position. The cam surfaces 32 and 37 on the latch member 22 and the locking member 35, respectively, cooperate to displace the latch member to permit of its entrance to locking position with the locking member 35, in the manner previously described.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the latching members and springs are protected from conta :t with external objects by the operating lever 16, and that the construction is simple and inexpensive to manufacture. It is obvious that, while I have described the device as applied to a doublethrow disconnecting switch, the latch mechanism may be applied to single-throw switches of various types. 4

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, a modified form of the device is illustrated, wherein the latch members 21 and 22 are yieldingly retained in operative positions by means of helical springs 83 that are disposed between the latch members 21 and 22'and braclrets42 and 43, respectively, that are secured to the blade 1. These springs, as well as the springs: 32-3 illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, serve to center the latch members 21 and 22 and the operating lever 16.

While I have described and illustrated but two embodiments of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions, additions and omissions may be made in the apparatus illustrated without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention 1. Switch mechanism comprising a switch blade member movable into engagement with separate contact members, a stationary member adjacent each contact member, a separate latch member for each stat onary member, pivotally mounted on opposite sides of the switch blade member and movable to locking engagement with its respective stationary member, yielding members normally hold- .ing the said latch members in operative position, and a single operating member carried by the switch member having means thereon for releasing the latch members, the said yielding members being interposed between the operating member and the latch members. switch mechanism comprising a switch blade, separate latch members mounted on opposite sides of the blade adjacent the end thereof and. movable to locking engagement with separate looking members, an operating lever fitting over the end of on for releasing the said locking means, and spring members disposed between the operating lever and the latch members for yieldi ingly retaining them in looking engagement with the locking members.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 18th day of November LAWRENCE R. GOLLADAYn 

